Cycling in Baden-Württemberg? We’re there! In southwestern Germany, cyclists will get their money’s worth. The extensive network of trails in Baden-Württemberg leads through, among other places, the Black Forest, the Swabian Alb, through the Lovely Tauber Valley, the Odenwald, around Lake Constance, through the Heilbronn region, and along the Neckar River. Along the way, you’ll find idyllic natural landscapes, charming half-timbered towns, and countless palaces, castles, and monasteries.
Today, we’d like to introduce you to two really cool long-distance cycle routes in the Baden-Württemberg open space and take you on a virtual journey through the northern part of the state. On both tours, we saw an incredible amount and explored two completely different regions. Ready for two diverse cycling stages? Let’s go!
- Cycling in Baden-Württemberg
- 1. The Tauber Valley Cycle Path
- 2. The Odenwald Madonna Cycle Path
- Cycling in the Open Space of Baden-Württemberg – Our Conclusion
Cycling in Baden-Württemberg
We love exploring the most diverse corners of the state by bike and have already been on some great tours. Most of the time, of course, we stay here in beautiful Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but we’re always looking forward to new adventures outside of our homeland. In Baden-Württemberg, an extensive network of cycle paths with a wealth of options awaited us. Since this time’s theme was “Long-distance hiking and cycling in the open spaces of Baden-Württemberg,” we explored some corners of the northern part of the state by bike.
The state of Baden-Württemberg has 21 designated long-distance cycle routes, which together cover all the major tourist regions. Thus, there’s something to suit every taste, whether it’s a leisurely tour along the rivers or a challenging mountain bike tour through the Black Forest. Our tip: The cycle route planner contains over 40,000 kilometers of cycle route data and is ideal for planning a tour. This planner also calculates the optimal route for you.
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1. The Tauber Valley Cycle Path
Cycling in Baden-Württemberg is incredibly fun, especially when you can discover so many wonderful spots in just one day. The long-distance cycle path “Liebliches Taubertal – The Classic” is 100 km long and leads from Rothenburg ob der Tauber via Tauberbischhofsheim to Wertheim am Main. Three stages are recommended for the entire route, but you can also plan your own tour. The route takes you through a gently rolling landscape with beautiful wine-growing villages, historic towns, and past numerous castles, palaces, and monasteries from times long past.
By the way: This long-distance cycle route has been awarded the top rating of “5 stars” by the German Cyclists’ Association (ADFC) several times and is one of the oldest cycle paths in Germany. The German Cyclists’ Association (ADFC) completes an evaluation form with 40 criteria during the testing process and awards a total of 100 points. This “classic” has proven itself for the fifth time and achieved the top rating. Now we wanted to see the long-distance cycle path for ourselves, so we set off…
Information about the Tauber Valley Cycle Path:
- Start/End Point: Rothenburg ob der Tauber/Wertheim am Main
- Total Length: Approx. 100 kilometers
- Duration: 7 hours
- Route: View the entire route here
- Seal of Quality: 5-Star ADFC Quality Cycle Route
- Route Recommendation: 2 or 3 Day Stages (see the stages)
- Equipment: Sturdy shoes, water, helmet, comfortable clothing
- Highlights: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Wertheim, Bronnbach Monastery, Wertheim Castle, and much more.
Stage 3: Start in Tauberbischofsheim
Ahead of us lay the 3rd stage (approx. 30 km) of the long-distance cycle route, which took us from Tauberbischofsheim to Wertheim am Main. But before we grabbed our bikes, we first explored the beautiful town of Tauberbischofsheim, which you definitely shouldn’t miss. The historic old town with its numerous half-timbered houses, narrow streets, and beautiful squares enchanted us from the very beginning. Worth seeing on the central market square are, among other things, the beautiful town hall, the Old Post Office, the Baroque palace, and the Rincker House. If you continue walking along the pedestrian zone, you will discover the imposing St. Martin’s Church, the Sebastianus Chapel, and the Maria Hilf Chapel.
You shouldn’t miss the Schlossplatz with the Electorate of Mainz Palace and the Türmersturm. We had the opportunity to climb the 37-meter-high tower as part of a private tour and enjoy the view over the city. This defensive tower, built in the 13th century, is now the city’s landmark. This idyllically situated square also features the Schlossplatz fountain with the Riemenschneider statue, the Bischem Toad Fountain, and remnants of the city wall with the Hungerturm (Hunger Tower). For an evening sundowner, we recommend the Tauber Terraces. Here you can get small snacks and delicious wines.
On the Tauber Valley Cycle Path
After our exploration tour through Tauberbischofsheim, we cycled leisurely along the Tauber River towards Wertheim. We passed small villages, forest edges, and orchards. The mostly paved long-distance cycle path is ideal for leisurely cycling; it is fully signposted and has no traffic. In the first few kilometers, we passed Hochhausen and Niklashausen, two small villages along the Tauber River. Again and again we stopped to photograph the constantly changing landscape.
Gamburg Castle
From Tauberbischofsheim we needed just under 40 minutes before we reached the small We reached the municipality of Gamburg, from where we made a detour to Gamburg Castle. To do this, we climbed steeply (luckily with our e-bikes) from the town center to the castle entrance. This castle, which towers above the Tauber River, dates back to the 12th century and is one of the oldest castles in the region. It has been privately owned and inhabited since 1546. Who can say they live in a castle dating back to the 12th century? How cool!
- Castle, castle gardens, café, and shop
- Opening hours: 1 April to 1 November weekend, every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday
- Time: 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last entry at 5 p.m.)
- Admission price: €3 without a guided tour | €8 with guided tour (students €2/€4)
- Guided tours: during opening hours from 2 p.m.
- Further information can be found here: Gamburg Castle
Lunch break at Bronnbach Monastery
After exploring Gamburg Castle and the castle garden, we cycled leisurely on to the next highlight of our bike tour. After just another 5.5 km, we reached the impressive Bronnbach Monastery, which was founded in 1151 as a former Cistercian abbey. The entire complex is large, and there is a lot to discover there. We visited the monastery church, strolled through the medieval cloisters, and the baroque abbey garden, among other things. Today, the Orangery-Greenhouse also houses a restaurant with a beer garden and a monastery café, where you can take a short break after your tour of exploration.
- Monastery, monastery shop & wine shop
- Opening hours in winter: Mon. – Fri. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Opening hours in summer: Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Sundays & public holidays: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Admission prices: €5 without a guided tour | €8 with guided tour (pupils and students €2/€3)
- Children up to 10 years and birthday children free admission
- Further information can be found here: Bronnbach Monastery
Arriving in Wertheim
The last 10 kilometers were a relaxed ride through the lovely Tauber Valley, taking us past Reichholzheim and Waldenhausen. The crowning finale, however, was the romantic town of Wertheim, which welcomed us with beautiful half-timbered houses, a historic market square, and a cozy atmosphere. Wertheim is the northernmost town in Baden-Württemberg and lies on the border with Bavaria. It’s just 70 kilometers to Frankfurt am Main and only 30 to Würzburg. Another interesting feature is that the Tauber and Main rivers flow together in Wertheim and become one.
The highlight of the city is certainly Wertheim Castle, one of the largest and most beautiful castle ruins in Germany. It towers above the city and can be visited (all information here). After our successful day tour and the countless impressions, we only wanted one thing in Wertheim: to eat ice cream! In the old town, we got some delicious ice cream and cool drinks, sat on the banks of the Tauber River, and once again enjoyed the summer afternoon to the fullest. A little later, we took the train back to Tauberbischofsheim from the train station.
Overnight stay at the Hotel “Das Bischof”
We spent the night at the chic Hotel Das Bischof*. The large building was built in 1871 as an archbishop’s boys’ boarding school and is now a listed building. It wasn’t until 2020 that hotelier and entrepreneur Tobias Motz acquired the property from a foundation and set about completely renovating the building. The 4-star hotel “Das Bischof” opened in 2022 and has since become a true gem in Tauberbischofsheim. We checked into our stylish room and rounded off the evening next door at the pizzeria Carellas Ristorante. Book a room here*
2. The Odenwald-Madonnen-Radweg (Odenwald Madonna Cycle Route)
Cycling in Baden-Württemberg is a lot of fun, as we already discovered on our first tour. The second tour took us into the densely wooded low mountain landscape of the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park on the approximately 180 km long “Odenwald-Madonnen-Radweg” cycle route. This long-distance cycle route connects the towns of Tauberbischofsheim, Buchen, Mosbach, and Neckargemünd with the cathedral city of Speyer. It leads leisurely along the Neckar River, downstream to Heidelberg and further to Speyer. This cycle route has also been awarded three stars by the ADFC (German Cyclists’ Association).
The almost 180 kilometers can easily be mastered in four day stages, each of which is around 40 to 50 kilometers long. This leaves plenty of time to explore the many highlights in the surrounding area, such as the beautiful town of Tauberbischofsheim, Mosbach, Speyer, Heidelberg, and Wertheim. Most of the time, the route follows well-maintained bike paths through the picturesque nature of the southern Odenwald. The climbs and descents are spread out over the entire route, so there are no particularly strenuous mountain sections to worry about.
- Start/End Point: Tauberbischofsheim/Speyer
- Total Length: Approx. 180 kilometers
- Duration: 44 hours
- Route: View the entire route here
- Seal of Quality: 3-Star ADFC Quality Cycle Route
- Route Recommendation: 4 daily stages (see stages)
- Equipment: Sturdy shoes, drinking water, helmet, comfortable clothing
- Highlights: Speyer, Tauberbischofsheim, Wertheim, Mosbach, Heidelberg…
Stage 2: Start in Buchen
We started the second stage of the Odenwald Madonna Cycle Route in the town of Buchen, located in the Neckar-Odenwald district in northern Baden-Württemberg. Buchen is an excellent starting point for tours into the Odenwald, but more on that later. Before hopping on our bikes, we strolled through the old town, which boasted several sights. These included the Old Town Hall, built from red sandstone, the Marian Column near the town tower, Wimpina Square with the new town hall, and the Catholic town church of St. Oswald. Of course, we immediately liked the pretty half-timbered houses that can be discovered in the old town of Buchen.
Villages, meadows & Fields
The second stage of the Odenwald-Madonnen cycle path led us through rural regions, past small villages, meadows, and through the beautiful Odenwald forest. The cycle path runs predominantly on paved paths, occasionally along unpaved forest paths. During our bike tour, we quickly realized that this day was more about the small details along the way than impressive sights and larger cities. Thus, in the first few kilometers, we discovered mainly fruit trees, colorful meadows, rolling grain fields, and sunflower fields. A few meters of elevation then faced us, which were easy to manage with our e-bikes.
Through the Odenwald
Between Darmstadt and Heidelberg, Aschaffenburg and Heilbronn lie the natural landscape of the Geo-Nazurpark Bergstraße-Odenwald. The Odenwald is a charming low mountain range in Germany and invites you to hike, cycle, climb, golf, or even mountain bike. There are numerous opportunities to explore the region on the signposted cycle paths. We passed through the Odenwald repeatedly that day, enjoying the magnificent landscape and seclusion. Along the way, we discovered pretty butterflies (especially the Emperor Moth and the Tree White), which are found primarily along forest paths and open forest edges.
Mudau, Limbach and the Odenwald Express
We continued cycling through the region and passed through the towns of Mudau, Laudenberg and Limbach, among others. In Mudau, you can see a historic steam locomotive that was still in use until the early 1960s. The meter-gauge narrow-gauge railway (also known as the Odenwald Express) connected Mosbach with Mudau from 1905 to 1973, covering a distance of 27.51 km. From Mudau, we followed the so-called “Wanderbahn” (hiking railway) along the former railway line, which partially led through the Odenwald. A little later in Limbach, we discovered the Linus Schmitt bakery, where we took a break with delicious coffee and cake.
The last few meters to Mosbach
The last few kilometers took us through the small villages and suburbs of Fahrenbach and Lohrbach. Shortly before Mosbach, our destination, we took a final break along the Elz River and emptied our provisions. Right next to the bench is a small fountain with a water wheel, which you can’t miss along the way. We then cycled the last 3 kilometers at a relaxed pace toward Mosbach’s old town.
Arrival in Mosbach
After a total of 44 kilometers we reached our day’s destination Mosbach happily and contentedly. We already raved about this town in our hiking article, as it’s definitely a highlight on this cycling and hiking route. Be sure to plan enough time to explore the historic old town with its beautiful half-timbered houses. You can take a leisurely stroll along the pedestrianized main street and visit one or two cafés or restaurants.
Overnight stay at the Hotel Lamm
We stayed in the beautiful Hotel Lamm*, located right in the historic town center of Mosbach, awaits us with a down-to-earth restaurant and cozy, but above all, spacious rooms. Our Superior Double Room (Greater Odenwald) featured a comfortable box-spring bed, a kitchenette, TV and Wi-Fi, a safe, a bathroom with a toilet and bathtub, and a seating area. A small breakfast was served in the breakfast room each morning. For just €5, you can put together a small packed lunch for the day.
Cycling in the open space of Baden-Württemberg – Our conclusion
The two long-distance cycle routes couldn’t have been more different. While we cycled from one highlight to the next on the Taubertalweg, never stopping to marvel, the Odenwald-Madonnen-Radweg was a much more leisurely ride. Here, the focus was clearly on the small details along the trail and nature rather than on imposing buildings (at least on Stage 2).
We sincerely hope that this post about cycling in Baden-Württemberg has inspired you and made you want to take a similar tour. Have fun! If you have any questions about the long-distance cycle paths, please let us know in the comments.